


A Word of Warning

by TerraCody



Series: Future Love of My Life [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions/Golden Deer Joint Route, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Headcanon, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:35:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25038601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TerraCody/pseuds/TerraCody
Summary: Claude gets more than he bargained for when Hilda decides to give him a surprise for his birthday. But then again, Hilda gets more than she bargained for too.
Relationships: Hilda Valentine Goneril/Claude von Riegan
Series: Future Love of My Life [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1817791
Comments: 1
Kudos: 56





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Fire Emblem: Three Houses and its characters are the property of Intelligent Systems, Koei Tecmo, and Nintendo. Okay, I’ve written a lot of fluff lately but now I’m returning to my roots of adult-oriented content. This is the first of in a trilogy of Claude/Hilda-centered fanfics titled “Future Love of My Life”. I won’t bore you with any content warnings as you can guess the nature of this fanfic by the tags I included. I hope you enjoy this story.

Chapter One

_25th of the Blue Sea Moon, Imperial Year 1180_

“Oh, this was sooooo unfair!”

Claude von Riegan huffed out a laugh as he steered his wyvern towards the ground in front of the Stables. With two quick flaps of his wings, the wyvern gracefully settled onto the dirt. He looked up to see the familiar pink head rather ungraciously guiding her pegasus to the ground. The pegasus’s hooves hit the ground sharply, and the momentum really knocked his rider from her saddle. “Careful now,” Claude warned, easily sliding down from his wyvern.

Hilda Valentine Goneril scoffed as she tried to steady her pegasus. “What was Professor Hanneman thinking, assigning _us_ to the group task to sky watch the day before the Goddess’s Rite of Rebirth?! Everyone’s out having fun while we had to work! And why do they keep assigning a pegasus to me for sky watch?! I keep telling them that wyverns are better for me!”

”I’d say it’s a lot more unfair for _me_ to do a group task the day after my birthday,” Claude said, though his tone was dry as the stable workers took the wyvern from him. “If Professor Hanneman was looking to punish us to for disrupting lecture with my birthday party, he shouldn’t have joined the festivities.” _And Lysithea ate most of my birthday cake,_ he thought humorously to himself. “And thanks to my birthday, I only got two hours of sleep last night. That’s plenty punishment enough.”

“Professor Hanneman should’ve cancelled the group task today,” Hilda complained. “I mean, our class didn’t even get the special assignment from Lady Rhea for tomorrow! The Blue Lions did, like they _always_ do!”

”Yeah, well, I think it has more to do with Professor Byleth than anything else,” Claude said. “Lady Rhea is pretty fixated upon her. _Well...everyone_ seems fixated on her.” He tried to stretch out his arms, but it was difficult to do so with the suit of armor he was wearing. He scoffed and pulled at the pauldron on his right shoulder. “I’ll never understand why they insist on us wearing full armor on sky watch. I understand that it’s necessary for drills, but this amount of armor is excessive.” He unhooked his cuirass and pulled it off over his head. “If we fall off our wyverns or pegasus’s from a high height, these metal plates aren’t going to cushion our fall.”

”Claude?”

Claude stiffened. He recognized this soft, singsong tone of voice from Hilda, though she didn’t use it on him often. His back was to her, and he didn’t turn around at first. She called out to him again, and he kept his lazy smile on his face as he turned around. He ignored the way her voice dripped like warm honey over his senses. “Yes, Hilda?”

Hilda was still perched on the pegasus. The armor above her waist was off in the arms of various stablehands standing around her. But she was looking at Claude and she raised her right hand delicately. “Will you please help me down?”

Claude almost rolled his eyes. Her “helpless flower” routine could be amusing at times but other times it almost got on his nerves. Anyone who fought alongside Hilda on the battlefield for even thirty seconds would see that she was no “innocent flower”. He had personally witness this delicate maiden, who at the Monastery acted like she couldn’t carry a pile of books on her own, swing heavy axes with _one hand_ and slay their enemies without batting an eye.

_Well, I couldn’t ask for a better ally to watch my back._

Claude sighed dramatically and waved his arms as he sauntered over to her. “I cannot say no to a lady in distress such as yourself, Lady Goneril.”

”You are ever the gentleman, Lord Riegan,” Hilda responded, her tone equal in measure to his playful snide.

Claude stood in front of her and took a moment to admire the view. He knew her well enough to not be ensnared by her spell, but not even he could deny that Hilda was incredibly attractive. And with the waning sunlight illuminating her back, making her skin glow, in that moment she looked absolutely beautiful.

_She’s certainly very dangerous...and not just on the battlefield._

Claude offered her an obnoxiously dramatic bow before he presented her his hand. A few of the stablehands snickered at the display. Hilda smiled down at him, and from her expression he could see that she was genuinely amused by his antics. Her pink eyes half-lidded as she accepted his hand.

The moment Hilda shifted though to slide out of the saddle, the pegasus bucked again, neighing loudly and raising up onto his hind legs. Hilda was launched off its back and slammed into Claude’s arms. Claude however had noticed the sudden change in demeanor in the pegasus mere seconds before it bucked, and he was able to hold himself steady on his feet as he caught Hilda. The stablehands quickly surrounded the pegasus, trying to soothe and calm the poor creature down.

Hilda’s breath came out in quick, startled gasps as she clung to Claude’s shoulders. Her body was higher than his but face was so close to his that her nose was touching his cheek. For a long moment they were so shocked by their sudden closeness that they didn’t say anything. They just remained there clinging to each other and looking each other in the eye.

Finally Hilda said, “Thanks for that.”

”You’re welcome.” Claude didn’t know how he kept his voice calm. He held his arms around her waist and he didn’t let her go (and neither did she) but he was all too aware of how their bodies were pressed tight together. Their mouths were so close together that their breaths felt like caresses against each other’s lips. Without their torso armor he could feel her breasts pressed up against his sternum. After a moment, Claude carefully set her down on her feet. Hilda broke eye contact first, looking down to brush herself off. Behind them, the pegasus was successfully calmed down and led away.

”Claude,” Hilda said, her tone low. She peeked up at him through his bangs. “I didn’t get you a birthday present.”

”I noticed,” Claude said dryly. His tone and demeanor remained nonchalant but he could still feel the imprint of her body against his.

”I feel really bad about it.” 

”I’m sure you do.” Claude was surprised though. Hilda didn’t use the same sweet and manipulative tone that he was familiar with. She actually did sound regretful.

”But...” Hilda raised her head fully. “I’ve decided that I’m going to make it up to you.”

”That’s good. Are we going to the Market now so you can buy me something? Or are you doing to inexplicably talk me into buying my own birthday present?”

Hilda leaned in close to him again. Claude stood his ground and accepted the challenge. She was shorter than him though, so she was forced to stand on her tiptoes to look him straight in the eye. His gaze didn’t waver. 

“Silly Claude. Why would I spoil the surprise for you?” Hilda looked down briefly at his mouth. Claude’s expression didn’t change. After a moment she leaned back down and relaxed her posture. “I’ll give you your birthday present in good time. Now, if you’ll excuse me...”

She turned to leave, but Claude reached out and grabbed her elbow. “Not so fast.”

Hilda looked at him and batted her eyelashes playfully. “Be a patient boy and enjoy waiting for the surprise.”

”I’m not talking about that. We’re not done with our work. Our rides have been taken to their stalls, but we have to take off their armor, unharness them, and brush and clean them. _And_ we have to assist the stable staff in feeding them. And once we’re done with all that, we have to report to Professor Hanneman our...less than stellar performance today. Then we join our class and check and see if there’s any last-minute arrangements we can assist with before the Rite of Rebirth tomorrow.”

Claude took immense pleasure in seeing Hilda’s entire demeanor deflate right before his eyes. He grinned obnoxiously back at her. “Hey, if I have to do all of this the day after my birthday, then you have to do it too.”

Hilda sighed dramatically but playfully pulled her arm free. “I think I like you better when you pretend to be lazy, Claude.”

”’Pretend to be lazy’?” Claude feigned an offended tone and clutched at his chest with one hand. “I’ve never been so insulted in all my life!”

Hilda barked out a laugh. “If you’re so thin-skinned now, then you have _no_ idea what awaits you when you become Duke.” She looked around herself. “Where’s my armor?”

With her back to him, Claude relaxed himself. He watched her as she looked around for the armor that she seemed to have forgotten handing off to the stablehands. After a moment, his hand slid up his chest and rubbed across his sternum. He could feel the heat of his skin underneath his shirt.

_Stay on your guard, Khalid. She may be a useful ally, but she **is** very dangerous. You have more important things to do than get tangled in her spiderweb._

* * *

_2nd of the Verdant Rain Moon_

At the podium in front of the Golden Deer classroom, Professor Hanneman closed his book. “That’s the end of lecture today. As you all know tomorrow is your free day. However, as a member of faculty I’m obligated to tell you that tomorrow is also Professor Manuela’s birthday.” He paused, and perhaps if he wasn’t in class he may have rolled his eyes. “You students are not required to get her a birthday present, however I will say that she does...very much enjoy getting presents. The only thing that I will advise of you, should you choose to get her a present, is that you do not get her anything with alcohol in it.”

He picked up this book and nodded to the class. “Class dismissed.”

With a whoop, Raphael Kirsten launched from his chair and ran out of the classroom, leaving behind his books. With equal enthusiasm, Lysithea von Ordelia jumped out of her seat and raced to the front of the room to speak to Professor Hanneman. Claude didn’t see what anyone else was doing because his eyes dropped back down to his notebook. On his desk he had two textbooks open; a map of Fódlan spread out in the top left-hand corner, and his nearly filled notebook directly in front of him that he quickly scribbled notes onto. Even though class was over, he’d thought he had a hunch about the material he had discovered in these textbooks. and didn’t want to risk forgetting the hunch. So he hurriedly paraphrased the contents from the books into his notebook and added his own thoughts in the margins.

_This notebook is almost full. I should go and buy another one tomorrow since it’s my free day. I almost regret not asking Grandfather to send me notebooks as a birthday present, although the Advanced Seal that he sent me is FAR more useful than the clothes and trinkets that the noble leaders and maidens who want my hand in marriage sent me. At least with Grandfather’s present he saved me the money I needed to buy the Seal to take the Wyvern Rider certification exam when I’m ready..._

Claude looked up, and his gaze lingered on the map of Fódlan. He sighed quietly. _I came here with a mission, but I feel like I’m not getting anywhere. Because Teach chose the Blue Lions, the Golden Deer House has been ignored for the most part. How am I supposed to make an impact and achieve my goals when I’m not involved in anything? I guess it’s all the same no matter where I am. I’m still an outsider looking in..._

“Claude...”

Breath caressed the top of his right ear, and the low voice caused him to involuntarily shiver. He quickly recovered and snapped a smile on his face as he turned to look up at her. “Hello, Hilda. If you’re asking me for help with the homework, I haven’t done it yet.”

Hilda hummed as she slid down to sit beside him on the bench. She was sitting so close to him that their bodies were almost touching. The hairs stood up on Claude’s nape, and he took a quick moment to scan his eyes across the classroom. The classroom was now empty except for the two of them. “If you haven’t done the homework yet, then what are you writing?” 

She reached for his notebook, but Claude quickly closed it. His smile didn’t waver. “Remember what I told you before, Hilda. If you want to know my secrets, then you’ll have to tell me some of yours.”

Hilda leaned her elbow on the desk as she looked at him, and her leg made a slow motion to cross over the other one. Claude only noticed the movement out of the corner of his eye. “Well...okay,” Hilda said finally. “I’ll let you in a little secret.”

”Really?” Claude couldn’t keep the shock out of his voice.

”Really.” Hilda smiled lazily and leaned in closer to him. “I’m giving you your birthday present tonight.”

”Ah.” Claude was immediately on edge but kept his tone nonchalant. “How very nice of you to think of me ten days _after_ my birthday, Hilda.”

”Oh, don’t be such a baby. I went to a lot of trouble to make these arrangements.”

”...What arrangements?” Claude asked cautiously.

”A dancer is staying at the inn until Monday. The dancer is a Golden Deer alumni and she won the White Heron Cup the year she was here. She’s offering dance lessons while she’s here, and I thought we should give it a try.”

Claude stared at her in silence for a long moment. After that moment he choked on a laugh. “The White Heron Cup is five moons from now, and I have _no_ intention of being the house representative. We both know that Professor Hanneman will most likely choose _you_ to be our house representative Hilda, so I hope you understand when I say this birthday gift doesn’t feel like a birthday gift for me.”

”This has nothing to do with the White Heron Cup,” Hilda retorted, her tone surprisingly harsh. “My birthday gift to you is a fun night of dancing. And not just dancing—the inn makes amazing food, and I reserved a table for us for dinner.”

”Hilda—”

” _And_ I know that these activities will leave us away from the Monastery late, so I reserved the two best rooms for us at the inn so we don’t have to worry about rushing back to the Monastery!”

Claude stared stunned at her. “I’m...impressed. That sounds like you put considerable effort into this evening.”

”I did,” Hilda said, her voice brimming with pride. “So it would be mighty rude of you to refuse such a nice young lady like me when she put forth all this effort for you, wouldn’t it?”

They were looking closely at each other. Claude’s expression didn’t change, but he felt a bead of sweat forming on his brow. While he admired her efforts, and the fact that she was spending so much money on him to make up for his birthday, a twinge of dread fluttered in the core of his being. But...it wasn’t just dread. And the fact that he wasn’t feeling just dread made him uncomfortable.

“A word of warning,” Claude said before he could stop himself. “If Seteth or Lady Rhea or your brother finds out we stayed at the inn overnight, we could be in serious trouble. And when I say we, I mean _me_.” The absolute last thing he wanted was for Holst Goneril of all people hunting for his head.

”Don’t you think I thought of that?” Hilda responded, her tone low and honey-filled again. “That’s why I said I booked two rooms; one for you and one for me. And I paid the innkeeper extra so he would keep quiet about the fact that the both of us were staying overnight. If we get up early enough tomorrow morning, we could sneak back here without anyone realizing that we were ever gone.”

The dread began prickling at him again, and common sense told Claude that he needed to refuse her offer. He had known Hilda Valentine Goneril for less than a year, but he _knew_ her quite well. She wouldn’t just arrange an overnight stay at the inn in town, away from the Monastery, just for dinner and dancing. They could do all of that, _and_ still come back for curfew. It seemed to be in her nature to manipulate men for her bidding, although she hadn’t done that to Claude.

Yet.

Unfortunately...Claude also found himself _intrigued_ by her proposition. Especially since he had a pretty good idea of what her ulterior motives were to lure him away from the Monastery for one night. 

_Well, I know I can trust her with my life at least. She’s certainly saved my life a few times. Who knows, maybe I can get ahead of her plans and undermine her a little. Heh, this is starting to sound fun..._

”You know, it _would_ be rude of me to refuse you,” Claude answered finally. “And you know I can’t resist opportunities to break the rules. Very well, Hilda. I’ll let you spend your money on me.”

”Excellent, Claude,” Hilda said, quickly standing up from the bench. Claude felt her absence from his side immediately. “Meet me at the Market in fifteen minutes, and bring an overnight bag. We’ll need to be discreet if we want to slip past the guards without alerting their attention.”

”Oh Hilda, you should know by now that I’m a _master_ of discretion,” Claude called after. Once she left the classroom though, he remained seated at his desk for a few more moments before sighing heavily and standing up.

_Let’s hope I don’t live to regret this._


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small warning, but the tabs on this fanfic apply here.

Chapter Two

Almyran Pine Needles. The smell of the tea sometimes made him homesick, but Claude still loved drinking it.

Satisfied that the tea leaves were properly seeping inside the teapot, Claude left the table and went to the massive bed. He pulled back the covers and sprawled on his back. He had packed the tea leaves in his overnight bag, along with a pair of pajamas and fresh small clothes. Near the barren fireplace stood a portable bathtub that he had just used, and the inn staff had just emptied. He had worn a black shirt and slacks when Hilda and him left the Monastery, but now he was in the pajamas.

Hilda hadn’t been joking when she said she got them the best rooms; they were on the fourth and highest floor, and the bustling activity in the inn’s restaurant—the singing and talking and laughing—sounded muted through the floorboards.

Hilda however _hadn’t_ told him though that the best “rooms” in the inn was in fact a giant suite that took up the entire fourth floor. While they were both technically in separate rooms, the rooms were connected by a single door that didn’t have a lock on it. Claude’s green eyes glanced at this door briefly before looking towards the ceiling, his hands behind his head.

There had been a lot of people who signed up for the dance lessons, but Claude had noticed that there had been a significant…age gap between Hilda and him and the other students. He was quite certain that the students closest to them in age were in their mid-thirties. Their dance instructor also looked to be in her thirties, and she had worn an elaborate outfit that Claude had to guess was a standard outfit for a Dancer. The class had done solo dances and then paired dances, but the moment she announced they had moved on to paired dances Claude had been mobbed by several older women who had all wanted to be his partner.

Hilda, likewise, was unsurprisingly popular with the gentlemen in the class and many of them wanted to dance with her. One such gentlemen got an earful from his wife for his attention towards Hilda, which Claude honestly thought was pretty hypocritical considering that _she_ was was on the first women who grabbed _him_ to ask for a dance. Hilda seemed to take that opportunity to slip away and grab Claude for a dance, which Claude was relieved about.

“Oh, you two make quite the handsome couple!” An elderly woman dancing with her husband complimented them.

“We do, don’t we Claude?” Hilda had agreed, smiling up at him. Due to their height difference the top of her head came up to his chin and she had to tilt her head back to look up at him.

Claude though played along and smiled back at her. “Yes we do, my love.” For a moment, he saw something flicker across Hilda’s face. She had appeared surprised by his words, but then she quickly realized that he was joking and smiled back at him. She had tucked her head against his chest, one hand on his shoulder and the other clasping his, and they followed the motions of the other dancers swaying to the live music.

Claude chuckled at the memory from earlier that evening before quickly sobering. Ever since the day after his birthday he’d sense a...change in how Hilda approached him. Whenever they stood side by side she always stood very close to him, and Claude admittedly _liked_ her close proximity. Her body language always illustrated ease, and at times he found her close presence comforting. 

However, ever since that day Claude had noticed that Hilda seemed to be...testing him. Like earlier today, when she sat so close to him. She was closer than her usual closeness to him, almost pressing against his body on the bench. She made an effort to invade his personal space. She had also frequently touched him; on the arm, one the hand, on the back. Brief caresses. She had done that at dinner after the dancing lessons; at random points when they spoke she would reach out and caress his hand briefly, but she did it so naturally that it didn’t feel awkward. And she used shifting tones when she spoke to him—not the helpless and honey-filled voice she used with other men. But she still used a low, harmonious tone that seemed intent on striking a chord in his being.

Claude didn’t consider her behavior towards him harassment, though. He had found it amusing that she had suddenly fixed her attention on him, when in all the time they had known each other she seemed to have gone out of her way to _not_ treat him like that. And it was foolish and stupid, but he couldn’t deny that subconsciously he was enjoying the way she tested him. Oftentimes when she would touch him, he had to stop himself from grabbing her hand and holding it to him. It was amazing how soft and delicate her hands were when he’d seen those same hands locked in battle.

And...he often had to stop himself from responding in kind to her behavior.

Claude closed his eyes and huffed out a short breath. “Yeah...”

He wasn’t going to lie to himself and say he wasn’t attracted to her. It was easy being attracted to her when she was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever met. His grandfather had warned him against her when they had met at a conference last Horsebow Moon, not just because of her overly protective father and brother but because of her reputation as a shameless flirt. But despite her reputation, and her general lazy demeanor, Claude discovered that Hilda was one of the easiest people to talk to. It was easy to playfully flirt with her and it was easy to playfully tease her. Everyone looked at him with expectations but he could see that when Hilda looked at him she didn’t see him any differently than she saw anyone else in their house. He couldn’t deny that he responded to her, and although it subtly came out at times he was very good at hiding it.

_But here we are. I’m in one half of the suite and she’s in the other half. This isn’t part of my plan, and if I’m not careful I could meet my end before I come even close to achieving my goal. But knowing Hilda, she’s probably not about to get ready for bed._

No sooner did he finish that thought, a knock came to the door linking the suite. It was firm but delicate—as though the person knocking didn’t want to risk bruising their knuckles. Claude slowly sat up and stood up from the bed while watching the door. For a moment the rational side of him wanted to lay the hitch he’d wanted to plant in Hilda’s plan by telling her to go away. However, when he opened his mouth the words that came out were, “Come in!”

Hilda opened the door and peeked her head in. Claude could see that her hair was down, and looked slightly damp. She had probably taken a bath recently too. “Oh good, you’re awake. I was afraid you had gone to bed.”

”I’m actually full of energy,” Claude said. He turned away from her and instead lifted the lid of the teapot to check the tea leaves. _Good, they’re properly soaked._ “Between the dance lessons and dinner, I don’t feel the least bit tired. I think that famous Dancer recognized me, though.” Claude laughed. “She was paying me a considerable amount of attention during the lesson. At least she didn’t yell at us like she did that poor old man. Just watching her was giving me flashbacks of my mother.”

“Well, you have a face and presence that people remember, Claude. But I think we both did a good job tonight.” He heard Hilda slowly walk around the room and sensed her presence stop in front of the bathtub. “Oh, phooey. The bathtub they gave you is larger than the one they gave me.”

Claude laughed and looked up then. “Well, if it serves its purpose properly, then...” his voice abruptly trailed off. His throat went dry and his body tensed as he immediately went on edge. He could see Hilda’s appearance fully now. She was partially turned away from him, but he could see her hair was loose down her back, and some strands swept over her shoulders. He could see the rosy hue of her complexion in the candlelight, no doubt from the bath she had complained about. And her clothes...she was wearing a sleeveless wavy ankle-length dress that was just as few shades lighter than her own hair color. The fabric was noticeably thin and it clung to her body. The fabric was so light in color that it was a closer match to her rosy skin than her hair.

It were as though the dress was giving her the appearance of _nudity_.

Claude tore his eyes away from her body, and it was then he noticed she seemed taller than she usually was. His gaze dropped to her feet, and he saw she was wearing pink shoes with high heels—

_She’s not wearing stockings or leggings._

Claude’s gaze quickly lifted, and he saw that Hilda was looking back at him. She smiled coyly and straightened her posture. “See something you like?”

_And so it begins._

Instead of taking the bait, Claude forced a smile at her and turned towards the table. “You look chilly. I made some tea if you would like some.”

”Ooh, I would _love_ some tea!” Hilda squealed. She hurried over to join him at the table, and Claude pretended not to notice that the skirt of her dress was see-through. _Yeah, she’s not wearing stockings or leggings._ He began to pour a cup, and he saw Hilda’s nose wrinkle as she caught the scent of the tea. “Oh, that smells bitter! What tea leaves did you use, Claude?”

Claude looked up at her fully and watched her reaction as he said the next words. “Almyran Pine Needles.”

Hilda stiffened, and her head snapped in his direction. “...Almyran?”

”Almyran,” Claude repeated himself. “I hope the taste isn’t too unbearable for you.”

Hilda jerked her head back and forth, and rubbed her bare arms nervously. “No. There’s no problem, and I’ll gladly drink it since you went to the trouble of preparing it. I just prefer sweet tea is all.”

Claude looked away from her again. He trusted her, and he acknowledged that he was attracted to her, but he wasn’t blind to her prejudices against the Almyran people. Admittedly her prejudices was what made his attraction to her so difficult. Sometimes her obliviously offensive comments upset and infuriated him, but at the same time he couldn’t entirely fault her for how she felt. After all, her brother risked his life defending Fódlan’s Throat from repeated assaults and invasions from the Almyrans. He was aware that House Goneril had lost many soldiers, men and women, during fights with Almyrans.

Then there was the simple fact that Hilda personally didn’t have much experience interacting with anyone from Almyra socially...that she was aware of, at least.

Claude finished filling the cup, and to his surprise Hilda gestured to it as she took a seat at the table. “May I?”

Claude smiled at her as he slid the teacup and saucer over to her. He noticed then that she was wearing pink lipstick that shined on her mouth. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have milk or honey.”

“No, it’s okay.” Hilda looked down at the dark liquid for a long moment before she lifted the cup and took a sip. He heard a noise of displeasure in her throat, and her brow knitted tightly, but she didn’t pause in drinking the tea. “You don’t need to force yourself,” he said sincerely.

Hilda shook her head and set the cup down. “I-It’s okay. Like I said, I’m not used to the flavor. It’s very...masculine.”

Claude barked out a laugh. “Well, considering that this is my favorite tea I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Hilda looked up at him. “Almyran Pine Needles is your favorite tea?”

He stiffened, and for a moment he was concerned he gave away too much. But he very quickly recovered and shrugged as he sat down. “Well, I like to consider myself open-minded. I’ve even tried the Rose Petal Blend before, although I never want to again.”

“Hey, Rose Petal Blend is _my_ favorite tea!” Hilda said, looking playfully offended. “What’s wrong with Rose Petal Blend?”

“Too sweet for me,” Claude said, making a face.

“Well, considering _this_ is your favorite tea I shouldn’t be surprised that you don’t like _my_ favorite tea.”

“Hmm.” Claude began to pour his own cup, but Hilda waved his hands away. “Here, let me.”

“Oh, thank you,” Claude said, and waited for her to pour him his own cup. Claude accepted the cup and drank from it. He wanted to sigh at the familiar flavor and closed his eyes, and for a moment he could imagine himself back in his bedroom at home. Not his bedroom in Derdriu though, but his real bedroom that was so far away now…

_But I can’t go home yet. There’s still so much that I need to do here._

Claude opened his eyes as he lowered his cup, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Hilda sipping her own cup. Her eyes were closed and she was making a face, but she didn’t pause in drinking. Claude felt flattered that she was still drinking a tea that she obviously didn’t like. He’d half-expected her to dump the contents of her cup back into the teapot while he was distracted. Instead, she was putting forth the effort to finish the cup.

_She’s always full of surprises, but that’s what makes her so intriguing. And fun._

Although with her close proximity and her arm raised, he could see the outline curve of her breasts through her thin dress and he darted his eyes away.

Hilda finished her cup and let out a loud gasp as though she’d been holding in her breath. She set the teacup down a little too hard onto the saucer. “There. I’m sorry Claude, but one cup is all I can do.”

“I appreciate your effort,” Claude said, taking another sip of tea. “I’ll return the favor and drink Rose Petal Blend with you on _your_ birthday.”

Hilda brightened at that and smiled devilishly at him. “I’ll hold you to that promise, Claude.”

“I’m sure you will. Just, don’t ask me to rent out an inn room for you. As the House leader and the future Duke of the Alliance I can’t make it seem like I’m playing favorites.”

“But this is _me_ you’re talking about,” Hilda said. She leaned forward and fluttered her eyelashes at him. “Aren’t I your favorite in our House?”

Claude contemplated this for a deliberately long moment before answering. “No.”

“No?!” now Hilda genuinely sounded offended. She leaned back in her chair. “I’m _not_ your favorite?! Well, who is then?!”

“Why do you assume that I have a favorite?”

“Oh, stop being vague and just tell me! It’s Marianne, isn’t it?! Of course it’s Marianne!” She threw her hands up in exasperation. “I mean, who _wouldn’t_ like her? She can’t stock shelves to save her own life, but she’s an amazing person!”

“Marianne is an amazing person,” Claude agreed. “But if I have to play favorites, then honestly it’s Lysithea who’s my favorite.”

“Lysithea?” Hilda perked up at that. “Oh, she can be so adorable when she gets mad over all the littlest things! I’ve been trying to be a good big sister to her and show her everything I know about clothes and makeup, but she doesn’t seem interested!”

“‘Big sister’?” Claude echoed warily.

“Yes, of course! She’s an only child, right? Or did she have siblings? I can’t remember, but I totally want to be her big sister! I don’t have any sisters, and I think I would be the best big sister to her!”

Claude almost imagined Lysithea grown up with Hilda’s personality and almost shuddered. “Let me be there when you tell her that you want to be her big sister, so I can see her reaction.”

“Oh stop it!” Hilda swatted him playfully on the arm before she stood up from the table and extended her hand to him. “Here. I want to dance again.”

“Dance?” Claude asked. “Well, okay, but we don’t have music.”

“That’s okay, I’ll just hum a song. Does a waltz sound okay with you?”

Claude had a sensing feeling that she was trying to bait him again, but rather than refuse her he decided to take the bait. “Sounds good to me.” He finished his tea and took her hand as he stood up. He clasped her hand against his chest, and wrapped an arm around her waist and she wrapped her free arm around his shoulders. The heels in her shoes did increase her height a bit; now the top of her right cheek was hovering close to the bottom of his right cheek. She tilted her head back, angling her mouth towards his ear, and began softly humming a song.

“Do you feel that you’re properly prepared for the White Heron Cup?” Claude asked jokingly.

“Oh hush,” Hilda breathed against his cheek. “This wasn’t about the White Heron Cup. Of course, I _will_ win the White Heron Cup for the Golden Deer House if Professor Hanneman chooses me. But dancing for the White Heron Cup isn’t just about your skill level as a dancer. You also have to have certain level of _charm_.”

“Charm, huh?” Claude kept his eyes forward, idly sweeping the room as they danced in a circle.

“Yes. Merely dancing the steps isn’t enough to win. You have to give off a presence to bring all of the attention to yourself. You have to _seduce_ your audience.”

_That was an interesting word choice. And she put emphasis on just that word. Hmm._

“Then perhaps I should be the house representative after all,” Claude said as Hilda resumed humming into his ear. “After all, as the heir to the Alliance it’s my duty to _seduce_ people into following me. I think I have the right amount of charm for it.” He ducked his head forward as he laughed, but the motion brought down close to Hilda’s neck. He involuntarily inhaled and stiffened, quickly straightening his neck. He didn’t stop moving, so Hilda didn’t seem to notice, continuing to move with him and hum.

She smelled good. _Really_ good. Even with his head raised Claude was now fully aware of her scent. She smelled like she bathed in water seeped in rose petals, with a hint of the expensive perfume she loved to wear. The scents, combine with her own natural musk, almost made his mouth water. He was about to nuzzle her ear but stopped himself just in time. He looked down and noticed for the first time that she had tucked her hair away from her right shoulder, exposing her neck. She was so close that if he leaned his head down just enough, he could kiss her neck and shoulder.

Claude lifted his head and closed his eyes. He let out a short breath but it was shaky, which bothered him. _This isn’t like me. I’m not the kind of fool who falls to the wiles of a woman. I respect Hilda and I like her, but if I become one of her conquests it will only only create complications for me. I thought it would be fun to play this game with her, but now I’m in trouble. I can’t just fall into bed with her!_

But…But it felt _good_ feeling her body pressed against his.

Claude realized that Hilda was no longer humming the song, but they were still swaying to a silent beat. Hilda leaned her head back to look at him, and his body clenched at the look in her eyes. He was used to people looking at him because they wanted something from him, but this…this was so different. The way she looked at him made his skin feel prickly, like a friction of power that was brewing between them. He stopped moving, and she made no effort to continue the dance.

_She’s playing with me, but I’m not like the men she’s played with. I’m not going to carry her books like Sylvain, and I’m not like Ferdinand and think she’s so helpless that she can’t make a damn cup of tea. I’m **not** like them._

Claude frowned, and suddenly kissed her.

Hilda’s face had been so close to his that their mouths found each other naturally. However he had taken her by surprise, judging by the twitch he felt in her hand. However she quickly recovered, and her grip on his shoulder tightened as she opened her mouth to him.

He felt a jolt in his knees and he pressed his hand against the small of her back. The shine on her lips tasted good, but the taste of her mouth was also tantalizing. Claude could taste the tea lingering on her mouth, adding a smoky sweetness. Their mouths moved hard against each other, sucking and twining their tongues. Claude wasn’t surprised that Hilda was a good kisser, but when he pulled her tighter against him and pressed his tongue deep in her mouth, he heard a strangled noise in her throat that made his toes curl. His heart pounded sharply when he realized the kiss was affecting her just as strongly as him.

Just as suddenly as the kiss began, Claude broke the kiss. The intensity left them both breathless, though they still held onto each other. The hand against her back rubbed up and down, and their clasped hands intertwined fingers. Claude ran his tongue against his own lips and he could taste the lipstick from Hilda’s mouth on his.

Hilda slid her arm closer around his shoulders, and used the momentum to lean back in close again. Their mouths almost touched again. “You’re an amazing kisser, Claude.” Her tone was low, still breathless.

“You’re not too bad yourself,” Claude said, although now he could feel himself returning back to his body. He could feel the heat starting to build within him, but for the moment he shook it off. _That…That was a mistake. I know it was a mistake. I came here to see what she wanted, and to undermine her. Now it’s time to undermine her. Enough games._

When Hilda leaned closer, no doubt to initiate another kiss, Claude leaned his head back away from her. “Hilda, how long have we known each other?”

“Huh?” Hilda looked surprised by the question. The fugue from their kiss slowly faded from her expression and she likewise leaned away from him, although she was still close enough that he could feel her breath on his face. “We met last Horsebow Moon, so a year next month.”

“And you feel you know me pretty well, right?”

“Well…you’re our House leader and the heir to the Leicester Alliance. We’ve talked a lot with each other and we’ve fought together as allies. I’d like to think that I know you pretty well.”

Claude squeezed her hand, but not in a comforting gesture. “Then you should know that I don’t appreciate your attempts at making me one of your conquests under the pretense of a birthday present.”

Hilda’s eyes went wide, and her face turned crimson. He saw the shocked embarrassment in her eyes, and Claude felt the familiar dread begin to flare up in him. He clung to that dread, because it kept his mind away from the heat and ache in his body.

_I knew it. She did bring me here to seduce me._

He didn’t let her go, though he loosened his grip on her hand and waist. He expected her to break free and yell at him, maybe even physically attack him for his accusation.

Hilda, however…was always full of surprises. It took her precisely thirty seconds to respond to his accusation, and she responded…by completely recovering her composure. The embarrassed blush left her cheeks, and she closed her eyes briefly. When she opened then, she had a new expression on her face. She was smiling…but she looked _dangerous._

“So that’s what you think, Claude? That I would spend all the gold that I spent on this lovely evening just to seduce you?” Hilda had adopted a different tone. It wasn’t the honey tone that Claude had heard her use to manipulate men. It was lower, huskier. “My, my, Claude. I’ve always known you to think so highly of yourself, but this is a new low.”

Claude laughed, but he kept a humorless tone. Hilda joined him in his humorless laugh, and Claude was shocked at the surge of anger he suddenly felt. He suddenly yanked her close, their noses touching. “I just happen to be a smart man who is keenly aware of my surroundings. And you can voice any denials you want, but I know that the only reason we’re here is so you can bed me.”

“So you say,” Hilda responded, her tone also suddenly dangerous. “But what makes you think that I would risk my reputation, and our friendship, by trying to seduce you?” She shook her head and looked away. “And here I thought you were different from the other men—”

“ _Hilda_ ,” Claude interjected. “Do not play your games with me. I’m not someone who will fall at your beck and call. And if you want me to be different from the other men you’ve played with, then you shouldn’t _treat_ me like the other men you’ve played with.”

“I haven’t—”

“I’ve been watching you all week, Hilda. Your body language towards me, the way you speak to me, the tone that you used with me. You’ve clearly been trying to manipulate me into swaying your way. And now, tonight, our joined rooms—this _dress_.”

“What’s wrong with this dress?” Hilda was now giving him a challenging look.

Claude laughed again. He knew he needed to let her go, but he was still hanging onto her…and she him. “Would you like me to elaborate?”

“Oh yes, Claude.” She lowered her eyes. “Please, tell me what’s wrong with this dress.”

“The material is thin enough to show off the curves of your body.” Claude felt a little self-loathing for not being able to move away from her. His grip on the dread he’d been feeling was starting to wane. “And it clings to you like a second skin. You wore it to bring attention to yourself. And since you’ve only worn it in the suite, you chose this dress to bring _my_ attention to yourself.” The hand against the small of her back involuntarily slid down lower. When he felt the smoothness of the fabric against his hand, her flesh underneath, he froze. He swallowed thickly and looked back at her. He didn’t bother keeping the surprise from his voice. “…You’re not wearing small clothes.”

“What an astute observation,” Hilda responded mockingly. “Are _you_ wearing small clothes, Claude?” In response to her own question, she pressed her body hard against his.

Claude knew in that moment that he should’ve pushed her away, but he didn’t. He was momentarily distracted by the way her breasts felt pressed hard against his chest, and the way her hips moved against his. The heat—

Yes, it did take him a lot longer than he liked to compose himself, and though he didn’t let her go he eased his hips away from hers. “You’re deflecting. This dress, the lipstick, the perfume you’re wearing—you’ve always been too obvious for your own good, Hilda.”

“Hmm…” Hilda pretended to give his words a lot of thought. She didn’t say a word as she moved her head back and forth, looking towards the ceiling.

“So, now that I’ve exposed you,” Claude said. “It would be in your best interest to—”

“Let’s just say that you’re right,” Hilda interrupted, locking eyes with him . “Let’s say that I _did_ bring you here to seduce you.” She smiled impishly. “Is it working?”

Claude knew better than to answer that. Instead he smiled what he hoped was an unfriendly smile. “As I was saying—”

“Claude, Claude, Claude, this is so unlike you,” Hilda laughed. Her grip on his shoulder tightened. “How rude of you to deny me when _you_ extended the invitation first.”

Claude blinked. “What?”

“What was it that you said to me? _“I’d let you grasp me any day”_?”

_Oh._

“ _”My hand, my heart, even my neck”_.” To emphasize this, Hilda grasped his nape in her palm. She leaned up so close that their mouths were almost touching again. “You can grasp _me_ anywhere you want. Do you still want me to grasp you?”

_…Yes. Yes, I did say that. One of my little slip ups that’s come back to bite me._

The hand that held his abruptly slid down between their bodies. Claude realized what she was doing and held her hand still. They held each other’s gaze, breaths short and heated, and the room suddenly felt hot. They didn’t say a word to each other, and after a moment Hilda started moving her hand down again. Claude’s hand moved to her wrist, but he otherwise didn’t stop her.

_This is bad, this is bad—_

Hilda pressed her hand against his groin through his pants. Claude felt a delicious jolt in his body, shooting straight to his crotch. Still holding his gaze, Hilda rhythmically squeezed him and his mouth opened with quiet groan. He felt her pulse against his thumb, her heart was pounding as she jerked her hand against him. It only took a few strokes to have him fully hard in her hand.

“Well?” She whispered against his mouth. “What are you waiting for? Aren’t you going to grasp me too?”

Claude narrowed his eyes challengingly at her, but his hand left her wrist and slid up her arm— _soft skin, so warm and soft_ —and his heart thudded sharply in anticipation. Hilda let out a short gasp when he cupped her breast in his palm. The material of her dress was so thin that it felt like he was touching her skin. The mound was full and firm in his hand, and he squeezed her with his palm. Her breath stuttered when he squeezed again and dragged his thumb over the hardening nipple. Her eyes lowered and her body shivered slightly as she moaned softly, and seeing her reaction to his caress made him ache sharply.

Claude snapped his teeth together and growled, feeling the grip on his control dissolve. _Screw it. I don’t care._

Claude crushed her against his body and slammed his mouth over hers again. He swallowed her tongue in a desperate and hard kiss, and fire lit inside his body immediately. Hilda gripped his shoulder tighter and slid her other hand up to his hip as she returned the kiss with equal enthusiasm. She groaned throatily and the sound was like a lightning bolt to his groin. His hands slid up and down her back, causing the dress to ride up, groping and squeezing her backside as she lifted her right leg and rubbed her thigh along his hip. Claude grabbed the leg and held it steady against him as he broke the kiss and smeared sucking kisses along the column of her throat. Hilda arched her head back and moaned again, and she pressed her pelvis hard against him again. With her leg raised he could feel her heat through his pajamas pants again and this time he couldn’t ignore it. He couldn’t suppress his own groan of desperation.

This was dangerous, so _very_ dangerous. Hilda was a master manipulator whose father held a lot of political power and whose brother held a lot of military power. She was a young woman who held so much power herself with her beauty and sensuality, and Claude knew this, he _knew_ this. But her scent, the taste of her kiss—oh _Gods,_ the way her body felt so perfect against his own, he knew he was sinking into her trap.

But in the moment he couldn’t bring himself to care.

They were kissing like they were fighting, and he let go of her leg as he pushed her against the table. Hilda suddenly broke the kiss, and Claude was taken aback for a moment until she swiftly sank down to her knees before him and fumbled with the strings of his pajama pants. Claude’s heart accelerated in sudden anticipation as Hilda pulled his erection free and quickly enveloped it with her mouth.

“Ah!” Claude arched his head back and grabbed her shoulders with both hands as she quickly moved her mouth over him, rhythmically squeezing his penis from root to stem. He felt her tongue along the underside and then swirl over the top and tip. His knees trembled from the pulsating pleasure her mouth was bringing to him. Then she started moaning, and he panted as he felt the vibrations from her throat curl around him.

His grip on her shoulders was tight but he resisted the urge to start thrusting into her mouth because he didn’t know if she would be comfortable with it. But oh Gods, it felt so good. Then he felt her hands pulling on his hips and he took that as an encouraging sign to tentatively move with her mouth. Hilda responded by humming and moaning again and Claude saw stars as his body shook.

 _Oh…_ he felt heat pooling into his groin and he knew that his body wanted to release. It took a moment for him to catch his breath, though he was still groaning when he shook her shoulder. “H…Hilda. Hilda, I’m about to—”

If Hilda understood his point, she responded by squeezing her mouth tight around him and bobbing her head quickly over him. Claude clenched his teeth as the heat started to spread, but his breath was punched out of him as he groaned louder. He twitched all the way to his toes as white-hot pleasure flooded his body as he was pushed over the edge. “Haa!” He squeezed Hilda’s shoulders and used them as leverage as he released inside her mouth. His knees trembled and he almost fell to the floor, but Hilda held him steady by his hips and moved her mouth coaxingly against him as his body shook violently. Claude arched his head back and he panted harshly as his body started to relax. When he felt the strength return to his knees he let go of Hilda’s shoulders, although his legs still felt wobbly.

Hilda wiped her mouth as she stood back up and Claude quickly grabbed her. Her arms encircled around his shoulders as they kissed again, and Claude groped at her backside before lifting her up onto the table. Her shoes fell off her feet and clattered to the floor. The teapot and other dish ware rattled on the table and he cursed as he broke the kiss. “Hang on.” He grabbed the tray that the tea set was sitting on and quickly moved it to one of the empty chairs. Hilda watched this with an amused expression. “How very thoughtful of you, Claude.”

“What I can I say? I think of everything.” He retuned to her side and kissed her again. She spread her legs to him as she wrapped her arms around his neck, although her skirt served to separate them. Claude broke the kiss and pressed his mouth into her neck again. She arched her head back and sighed as he dragged his lips and teeth along to her shoulder, and his hands slid up her torso to cup her breasts. The thin material still separated their skin contact. Claude pulled back and gripped the fabric by her collar and ripped the dress open straight down to her navel. The fabric tore apart like a hot knife through butter.

“Hey—HEY!” Hilda cried out indignantly. “What are you doing, Claude?! I like this dress!”

Claude pushed the fabric aside, exposing her full breasts. She did nothing to stop him. _Gods, how can she look so perfect?_ He glanced at her briefly. “You knew what you were doing when you decided to wear this dress for seduction.”

“I—” Hilda’s voice cut off when Claude bent his head down, enveloping one of the nipples into his mouth. Her skin tasted so _good_ …he felt like he was drowning in her. He sucked and rolled the nipple in his mouth, using one hand to squeeze the underside of her breast while the other hand pinched and fondled her other breast, squeezing the nipple between the base of two fingers. Hilda gasped and moaned throatily, and her hands couldn’t keep still. Fingers raked through his dark hair, played with his braid, and slammed down onto the surface of the table. Claude could feel the twitches in her body as she responded to him, and he felt his pride flare up and sharp heat in his groin again by the reactions he was invoking in her.

However, Hilda wasn’t one to let a grudge go. “Y…You…” she struggled to form words as Claude squeezed her breasts together and ravaged them with his mouth at once. “Oh, _Goddess_ —” she choked on another moan as Claude licked his way down to her navel. She let out a harsh gasp as she ducked her head forward, her eyes squeezed shut. “You—You’re a savage beast.”

Claude looked up at her as his tongue dipped into her navel. He didn’t say a word in response, and his tongue dragged across her flat stomach as his hands left her breast and slid down her body. His hands left her briefly to grab the free chair, and he pulled it up to sit in it before her. Hilda seemed to regain some clarity as her words became clearer. “I-If you prefer ripping a woman’s clothes apart during sex, t-then you don’t know how to treat a woman right. You’re just a beast who takes what he wants—”

Claude grabbed her by her thighs— _so soft, so smooth, no blemishes or hair—_ and hoisted them up onto the table. He yanked her skirt up high and without pausing he pressed his mouth into her groin. Once again, Hilda’s words cut off with a throaty gasp as he began frantically licking and sucking on the folds of her sensitive flesh. She was smooth and almost free of hair, and her smell and her _taste_ —Claude knew that she definitely enjoying herself when she felt so hot and wet with need. He groaned throatily as he licked her all over, teasingly pressing the tip of his tongue against her entrance before flicking his tongue and lips over her labia. After a few moments his licked up towards the nub at the top and sucked hard on it. Hilda’s whole body jolted and she moaned loudly as he rolled it around in his mouth.

Claude stroked a hand up and down her inner thigh as he took his other hand and sucked hard on his index finger. He slowed the motions of his mouth and he watched her carefully as he took the finger to gently stroke over her opening. He hesitated, and wondered for a moment if he should do it. But Hilda definitely felt what was he was doing to her—her breaths were short and her body seemed stiff in anticipation—and she wasn’t saying or doing anything to stop him. He put pressure on her entrance to give her a warning, but she didn’t say anything. That gave him the confidence to rub his finger against her before pushing inside.

“Ha…ha!” Hilda cried out, her body twitching when he pressed inside her body. He felt her tight warmth around his finger and his own arousal climbed. He began slow motions of flexing his finger in and out of her, base to tip and back in, and he used his free hand to press down on her lower stomach. Her muscles clenched and squeezed around him with each motions and he throbbed with anticipation of feeling those same muscles squeeze around him properly.

Hilda was gripping the edge of the table, her knuckles white, and her head was arched back as she continued to moan and pant her pleasure. Claude looked up at her as he pressed kisses into her inner thigh, and when he saw her nipples dark red and standing he knew she was deep in the throes of arousal.

Claude smiled against her soft skin. “What was that you were saying earlier?” He said in low voice. He couldn’t keep the smug satisfaction from his tone. “About how I was a ‘savage beast’? How I ‘don’t know how to treat a woman right’?” He leaned forward again and flicked his tongue over her nub to mimic the motions of his finger inside her. “I think I interrupted you, but please continue. Don’t hold back on my account.”

“Nnngh…” Hilda leaned her head forward again. She gasped for breath around her moans and she opened her eyes partially. “I…” he pushed in deep again and she shuddered, pressing her mouth closed for a moment. She closed her eyes again. “I don’t…I don’t remember what we were talking about.”

Claude stared at her in silence. Then he lowered his head and sucked on the nub hard and frantic. Hilda fell back onto her back on the table, moaning in desperation as his finger thrusted hard and fast into her body. She lifted her hips to match the motions of his mouth and finger. “Oh… _Oh_! There, there—Claude! _Please_ —”

His erection was hot against his stomach, and he almost dropped his free hand down to stroke himself. Instead he stood up from his chair and withdrew his finger. Before Hilda could say anything he slipped an arm under her and helped her back up into a sitting position. Their mouths found each other in a desperate kiss and her thighs squeezed against his hips. He pulled his pants further down and one hand to guide himself. With a single thrust he buried himself deep inside her body.

Hilda broke the kiss and her mouth hung open soundlessly. Claude closed his eyes, his breathing ragged as he almost lost composure. _Tight, so good, oh GODS she feels perfect—_

Claude recovered and grabbed her hips with both hands. He slowly withdrew, and his breaths came out in short breaths and his toes curled against the floor from the delicious friction. He grunted as he slammed hard back into her body and Hilda arched her head back with a strangled cry.

The passion between them burned like fire, and there was no desire for slow lovemaking. Their bodies moved fast and hard against each other, and she rolled her hips to meet each thrust in kind. They panted and groaned against each other’s mouths and Claude looked down between their bodies. He saw his penis gliding in and out of her body and he pulled on her hips desperately. Hilda rocked against him, moaning loudly as she fell back against the table again. Claude arched over her body, grabbing the edge of the table above her head as he pounded into her. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he felt the familiar heat pooling into his lower body.

Suddenly, Hilda threw her head back and screamed hoarsely. The sound startled Claude enough to stop moving, and he hissed when he felt her clench around him _hard._ Her mouth hung open, her body shuddered, and her pelvis lifted them both off the table as he felt the wetness against him. Claude calmed down as he realized what had happened, though his heart was still pounding as she relaxed beneath him and around him.

_Well, I should’ve expected that. I didn’t let her finish like she let me finish._

To his relief he knew that _he_ hadn’t finished, though he’d come close. Her scream startled much of the arousal out of him though, and he reached down to smooth the strands of hair out of her face. Her euphoric expression was so beautiful, and he couldn’t help but smile down at her. She opened her eyes and saw his smile, and smiled back at him in kind.

He leaned down to kiss her, though the gesture was gentler than their earlier kisses, and he started to pull out of her. To his surprise though, she pressed her thighs against his hips again, and she squeezed around him. Claude groaned, feeling his arousal quickly climb again, and he looked to see Hilda giving him a dangerous smile. He held onto his own smile but reached back to grab one of her knees. “We need to be careful.”

“I know,” she responded to him.

Claude looked up and saw the bed. “Let’s move somewhere more comfortable.”

Picking Hilda up to carry her to the bed proved to be difficult because she seemed intent on…hanging onto him. Hoisting her up into his arms only pushed him deeper into her body, and Claude almost collapsed when his knees buckled. Hilda didn’t help matters by flexing her hips against his and kissing him deeply. Claude somehow stumbled his way to the bed and they collapsed upon it. As he rose up he became aware of the fact that his pants were now tangled around his ankles and his shirt stuck to his skin from his sweat. He took the moment to climb off her and stand up and yank his pajama top off. Then he bent over to try to untangle his pants.

From the bed, Hilda was panting heavily as she watched him strip naked. “Wow,” she breathed. “You’re handsome all over, Claude.”

“Thank you.” Claude succeeded in freeing his right ankle. He glanced towards her. “You’re beautiful yourself.”

Hilda’s eyes widened, and she sat up slightly. “You think I’m beautiful?”

Claude snorted as he freed his left ankle. “You _know_ you’re beautiful.” A moment later he was back in bed on top of her, kissing her as she opened herself to him as as he rose up onto his knees under her thighs. One of his hands slid up her arm to clasp her hand and he shuddered as he slid back into her body.

The bed was large and barely moved from their motions but the mattress squeaked beneath their bodies. Hilda dug her head into the pillow, moaning loudly again as she dug her fingers into his back with her free hand. Claude closed his eyes as he moved against her, his own free hand gripping the bedspread. They moved together perfectly, bodies rising and falling at just the right moment. He felt little pulses of pleasure every time their bodies met, and the way she felt around him was divine. He couldn’t hold back his own voice as he quickened the pace, pounding her into the mattress. Hilda’s voice only called out louder, more desperate.

Claude felt the familiar pooling heat and he almost snarled in frustration. He didn’t want this to end, he wanted to keep going—to keep moving inside her until his body reached his peak. But he knew that doing so would be catastrophic for the both of them, so he forced himself under control. To his relief he heard the hitch in Hilda’s breath change, and she started panting quickly and heavily. “Ooh…ooh…” and she suddenly grabbed and squeezed his shoulder-blade for something to hang onto. Claude quickly took his hand and dipped it between their bodies. His thumb found the nub and he quickly rubbed it in time with the movements of his body.

“Haa… _ah_!” Hilda arched her body and screamed and spasmed as she was pushed over the edge again. Claude felt her clench him again, but he held on and didn’t give in. He watched her as her whole body trembled from aftershocks, her face etched in pleasure. Seeing her come loose like and be the cause of it was incredibly satisfying.

Claude slowly pulled out, but Hilda surprised him by reaching forward and grabbing him. Claude’s eyes almost crossed as she quickly stroked him and pulled him back down on top of her. “Don’t think I’ll let you get away,” she mumbled into his ear. “You’re so close. Hurry up and let yourself go.” The coaxing tone and the squeeze of her hand was enough. Claude saw white flashes behind his eyelids and his body clenched and he shouted as he reached his peak, spilling himself onto the bedspread. His hips continued to twitch forward, moving against her hand, and she didn’t stop stroking him until she had milked him dry.

In the aftermath Claude collapsed beside her on the bed. They both lay on their backs, breathing heavily and trying to catch their breaths. Claude felt the blankets wrapped around his waist, but he stared at the ceiling for a few moments. Never in his life had his body felt more sated than in that moment.

…But.

_But there’s the simple fact that you just fell into Hilda Valentine Goneril’s trap._

Claude frowned as his breathing evened out, and he slowly sat up. He pressed a hand to his chin. _I really did this, didn’t I? Falling to carnal pleasure has doomed so many political figures before me, and will doom many more when I’m long gone. I’m someone who’s always in control, but I let myself be swayed in such a way. I’m nowhere near reaching my goal, and this is what I do? I give in to my attraction and have sex with a comrade?_

He felt a hand touch the small of his back. “You’re being uncharacteristically silent,” Hilda told him. He glanced at her and he noticed that she had pulled the blanket up to cover herself. “I hope this isn’t your way of telling me that you didn’t enjoy yourself.”

Claude couldn’t help but laugh. “I think we both know that it would be a complete lie if I _did_ say that.” He quickly sobered and looked away from her. “I’m…just wondering what you plan on doing.”

“Me?” Hilda asked.

“You just slept with the heir to the Alliance, Hilda. I think we both know how much power you’ve suddenly gained. The real question is what you’re going to do about this. Are you planning on leveraging this against me while we’re at the Academy? Or sometime down the road when I become Duke? It would be nice to know now so that I can prepare myself.”

“I understand where you’re coming from,” Hilda said, surprisingly calm. “But I didn’t sleep with you to gain leverage against you. I mean, what would I have to gain for having “leverage”? Using this experience in such a way would be _way_ too time-consuming. I slept you Claude because I wanted to.”

Claude looked at her again. “…Just like that?”

“Well, sure,” Hilda said, shrugging. “You have a great personality and you’re handsome. I’ve found you attractive for quite a while now but I didn’t know if the feeling was mutual. After you caught me when I was thrown from the pegasus, I noticed how your body reacted to me in your arms. You know how you accused me earlier of testing you over the last several days? Well, you were right. I was testing to see if you were attracted to me as much as I was attracted to you. The impression I got was that yes, you _are_ pretty attracted to me, so I made these arrangements so that we could both have some fun for once. Clearly, I was right.” She laughed a little.

Claude stared at her, not sure of what he should say. Hilda scoffed and sat up slightly. “Look, I don’t have any illusions about this. I’m perfectly aware that once we graduate from the Academy that nothing further will come from this. Your grandfather probably doesn’t want you to marry someone like me, and I know my family never wants me to marry. But that shouldn’t stop us from having a good time for now, should it?”

“What do you mean your family doesn’t want you to marry?”

“Have you ever seen any suitors lining up to win my hand, despite the fact that I’m a noble with a Crest? My parents set my dowry at 2,000 gold. There’s no noble desperate enough to accept a bride with a dowry that low. All three of the Professors at the Monastery have monthly salaries higher than that! And I’ve told you about my brother, right? _Everyone_ is scared of him! My brother would probably kill my future husband if he thought he gave me a dirty look!” She shook her head and looked away. “If anyone comes to me to talk to me about my family, they only want something from Holst or my father. Nobody is interested in _me_ , Claude.”

Claude gestured to her slightly. “So…is this why you just play around with men? Because there’s no expectation of any of them wanting your hand in marriage?”

Hilda shrugged. “If I’m destined to be a spinster of my house, then I might as well live in the moment.”

Claude stared at her in silence for a long moment. What he said next burst out of him, and in hindsight he didn’t know why he said it. In the moment though, he couldn’t stop himself.

”I don’t want to rule the Alliance.”

He instantly regretted it the moment the words were out of his mouth, and he snapped his teeth shut. _Damn._

Surprisingly, Hilda didn’t give a visible reaction to his words. “What a coincidence. Neither do I.”

Claude actually laughed at that but sobered quickly. He took the moment to change the subject. “I…think I understand what you were talking about. And if you tell me that you have no intention of using this against me, then I believe you Hilda.”

“I’m glad to hear it, Claude. I only want to have fun.” Hilda said nothing more about his previous comment. She suddenly moved closer and slipped her arms around him. She hovered her mouth over his. “You want to have fun too, don’t you?”

Claude responded by kissing her, and he let her pull him back down onto the bed.

_Yeah…this is fun._

* * *

Claude was surprised to see Hilda up before dawn the next morning. Neither of them had understandably gotten much sleep, but they quickly dressed and hurried down to the first floor. Claude left a bag of gold on the table for housekeeping. The innkeeper was there and they discreetly turned in their keys. Claude gave him a small salute and a quick “Thank you” before they were both out the door.

The sun hadn’t risen when they left, but the sky was pink by the time they reached the Monastery. It was a free day so he knew guard rotations would be a lot more relaxed that morning. Claude however was glad that he was naturally keep on finding secrets, and he directed Hilda to one of the secret passageways into the Monastery so that they wouldn’t have to cross through the front gate. It required them to shimmy between two stone walls towards the Greenhouse, and for once Hilda didn’t complain about how unpleasant it all was. Once they made it through, Claude helped Hilda jump through some hedges until they reached the entrance to the Second Floor Dormitories.

Claude peeked up the stairs and listened carefully. He didn’t hear any footsteps in the hallway. He nodded to Hilda and they quickly raced upstairs. They stopped in front of Hilda’s room with breathless laughs. “That was exciting!” Hilda gasped.

“Well, I _am_ an exciting guy,” Claude laughed, straightening up.

Hilda collected herself and smiled up at him. “You sure are.”

Claude stared back at her, both of them catching their breaths. He didn’t know who moved first, but in a flash they were in each other’s arms kissing deeply. They hadn’t talked about what had happened last night when they woke up, but Claude knew they didn’t need words. He lifted her up slightly so that she was on more equal height to him as their mouths moved against each other. For a moment the events of last night flashed behind his eyelids, and he could hear Hilda’s desperate cries and moans in his ears, and the familiar stab of heat shot through him as he remembered the feel of her body—

He forced himself under control though and broke the kiss. His eyes opened partially to look at her, and he saw that her eyes were also half-lidded. “Thanks for the birthday present,” he said softly.

Hilda smiled slowly at him, and leaned him for another kiss. It was just a gentle pressing of her mouth against his, but a strangled noise rumbled in his throat at the contact, but he heard a soft sound from hers. After a moment, she pulled back and looked at him. She rubbed a couple of strands of his hair between two fingers. “No,” she said finally. “Thank _you_.”

They released each other and Hilda went inside her room. Claude stood there for a moment staring at her door. He reached up and rubbed at his bottom lip with the tips of his fingers, and he couldn’t help but smile. 

_She sure is something._ He turned to head towards his room. _I probably shouldn’t believe her, but I trust her when she tells me she just wants to have fun with me. It might cause me some trouble getting involved with her like this, but...trouble follows me around anyways. And it’s hard to complain when the benefits are **so** worth it._

He climbed the stairs and passed the first bedroom at the top of the stairs when one of the doors to this bedroom abruptly slammed open. Claude paused, but didn’t jump at the sudden slam. He slipped his usual smile on his face and turned to greet the glaring face of Lorenz Hellman Gloucester. “Good morning, Lorenz. You’re up early.”

“You were gone all night,” Lorenz said, his tone low but accusatory.

“Huh? What’s that now?” Claude asked, rubbing at his ear with his pinky. “I didn’t quite catch that.”

“You.” Lorenz enunciated the word through clenched teeth. “Were gone all night.”

Claude rolled his eyes, suddenly feeling irritated. It was probably not a good idea to bait Lorenz, but he’d ruined Claude’s good mood. “What was your first clue, my overnight bag? Or did you really sit up all night waiting to catch me? I didn’t realize that you were my chaperone, Lorenz—”

Lorenz shot out of his room and rounded upon Claude. “You are the heir to the Alliance!” He hissed harshly. “You have an obligation to present yourself in a manner that will not shame or embarrass our class! That will not shame or embarrass our _country_! Instead, what do you do?! You break curfew and stay out all night at Goddess knows where! Although with your overnight bag I can hazard a guess of what elicit activities you were partaking in!”

”Then enlighten me, Lorenz,” Claude said. His tone was nonchalant but his smile slipped into a more dangerous one, meeting Lorenz’s gaze unwaveringly. “What “elicit activities” did I partake in last night? I would _love_ to hear your theories.”

Lorenz’s face flushed and he sputtered and fumbled over his words. Claude laughed, but it was a mix of sarcasm and genuine glee at his embarrassment. “Well, I’m waiting.”

“T-That...” Lorenz now looked like he wanted to hide in a hole. Claude admittedly took a little too much pleasure at seeing him shrink into himself. “I thought so. Why don’t you do yourself a favor and worry about your own reputation, and I’ll worry about mine? Your feedback can be constructive at times Lorenz, but I’m not going to stand here and be lectured by you about “embarrassing” the Golden Deer house when I know perfectly well that you’ve been lectured by both Professor Hanneman _and_ Professor Byleth about _your_ behavior!”

Claude turned to leave, but Lorenz grabbed him by his shoulder. “You’re deflecting,” he shot back. “You’re covering up your own bad behavior by spinning conspiracies upon me. But know this, Claude; you might think you’re so smart but I can see right through you. You—”

Claude tuned him out and let his mind wander. He remembered his night with Hilda and his good mood resurfaced. Lorenz didn’t seem to realize that he had been out with Hilda, otherwise she would’ve been mentioned in his lecture of him. So at least Lorenz wasn’t aware of _whom_ Claude spent the night with.

 _Well, if we’re discreet then nobody will find out. This is only for a little while, anyways._ A strange twinge prickled at him, but he couldn’t identify what the feeling was so he ignored it.

“Do you understand me, Claude?!” Lorenz finished, letting go of his arm.

Claude of course hadn’t heard a single thing he had said, but he was back in a positive mood and so he grinned at Lorenz. “I finally got it.”

“Really?” Lorenz looked both shocked and relieved, with just a touch of smug satisfaction.

“Today is Professor Manela’s birthday, right? I finally know what I will get her.”

Lorenz’s face fell, and rage snapped into it once more. “Didn’t you hear a single word I just said?!”

“Not really, no.” Claude put his hands behind his head. “You were firing off so many words that they just kind of meshed together into a gibberish noise.”

“Claude—”

“But more importantly, we need to celebrate Professor Manuela’s birthday. I’m sure that this day means a lot to her, whatever age she is now.”

“ _Claude_ —”

“Don’t you want to know what I plan on gifting her?”

“Yes, fine!” Lorenz exploded, waving his arm sharply. “What is your illustrious present for Professor Manuela?!”

“Your poetry book.”

In an instant all of the color drained from Lorenz’s face. “M-M-My...” then he shook his head and tried to laugh it off. “I-I haven’t the faintest idea of what you’re talking about, Claude! Me, having a poetry book? That’s completely absurd!”

“Oh, good. Then you won’t mind if I give her the one I found now.” He abruptly turned and ran towards his bedroom.

“You found—CLAUDE!” Lorenz shouted, running after him. Claude made it to his room first and slammed the door shut, leaving Lorenz to pound on it outside. “Claude, you’d better give me back that book or you’ll live to regret it!”

“Oh, was that a _threat_ from Lorenz Hellman Gloucester?” Claude called back jovially as he set about unpacking his bag. “How unbecoming of a noble of your station!” He of course knew about Lorenz’s poetry book but he didn’t have it. He had hoped that it was the one thing that could get Lorenz off his back. Alas...

“Claude!” Lorenz shouted again, pounding harder on the door.

Claude heard a curse word coming from the room to his right, and another door abruptly slammed open. “Is there any reason you’re yelling so loud so early on a Sunday?!”

“O-Oh,” Lorenz’s voice suddenly became small and leveled. “U-Um, hello Felix...”

Claude laughed again to himself. “Have fun with that, Lorenz...”


End file.
